Delhi has criticised “inappropriate” remarks about Indians and India shared by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.
Trump shared a four-page transcript of remarks made by podcaster Michael Savage on America’s birthright citizenship where he accused people from India and China of abusing the privilege.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” the transcript documents Savage as saying.
India’s foreign ministry reacted to the remarks without naming Trump or Savage but said they were “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”.
“They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” the ministry said in its statement.
The remarks created a furore in India, with the main opposition Congress party calling them “extremely insulting and anti-Indian”.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take up this matter with the US President and register a strong objection,” the party said in a post on X.
Trump’s post comes at a time when Delhi’s once-smooth relationship with Washington has turned rocky. Trump has put pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil, saying that the money was helping fund the Ukraine war.
But in March, the US temporarily eased sanctions to allow India to buy Russian oil that was stranded at sea to stave off a crisis triggered by the war on Iran.
Trump has also waged a tariff battle on India, slapping 50% duties on its goods last year, 25% of which was a penalty for buying Russian oil.
In February, however, he cut these tariffs to 18% as part of a trade agreement with India, the contours of which are still being negotiated. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit India next month in what is being seen as a significant step to reset strained relations.
Since returning to power, Trump’s administration has cracked down sharply on illegal immigration and the president has made remarks accusing immigrants of taking away jobs from Americans.
He has also taken aim at the H-1B visa programme, which brings skilled foreign workers to the US and is dominated by Indian nationals. The programme has been praised for attracting global talent to the US but critics say it undercuts American workers.
The comments by Savage that Trump shared on Truth Social echo some of these views.
“I used to be a great supporter of Indians in India until I opened my eyes up to what’s going on here. White men need not apply to jobs in the state of California. Nevermind in high tech. I don’t care what your qualifications are. You’re not getting a job at High Tech in California,” he said without offering evidence to support these allegations.
He goes on to say that white people don’t stand a chance to get these jobs because “almost all the internal mechanisms are set up to run by Indians and Chinese.”
Savage said his remarks were sparked by arguments made in the US Supreme Court, which is hearing a challenge to Trump’s executive order that aims to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants and some temporary visitors.
